Dwelling
by PurpleCardi
Summary: AU. An idyllic weekend getaway turns into a nightmare for 21-year-old Jane and Maura when they discover someone has been watching them, but spying on their most intimate moments is only the beginning...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just a short introduction before the action begins. Let me know what you think. :)**

**June 1996**

Jane Rizzoli didn't believe in love at first sight, especially the first time she laid eyes on Maura. They were at a party that both of them had attended for different reasons: Jane because her best friend wanted to bed as many sorority girls as he possibly could and Maura attended in a vain attempt at experiencing college normalcy. Neither of them socialized with any of the beer pong playing, bumping and grinding party guests, so as the only two wallflowers, they decided to strike up a conversation with each other. Their attempts at making conversation with each other were all disastrous until the alcohol started flowing. Their drinks weren't very strong, but the fact that neither of them had built up a tolerance for alcohol meant they were able to become intoxicated faster than some of the other party guests. They were both annoyed by the other, but the more they drank the more tolerable and even interesting the other became. They weren't quite sure how it had happened, but Jane woke up the next morning in Maura's dorm room. They were fully clothed and in separate beds so Jane had assumed nothing sexual happened between them, but she still felt awkward about waking up in the same room as this girl. She debated sneaking out before Maura woke up, but the more she looked at Maura peacefully sleeping in her bed, the more she felt as if she would regret leaving. They went out for lunch that afternoon and within a month, they were officially a couple.

Being with Maura was never easy for Jane, but she could honestly say there was never a dull moment. They were different, but their differences posed a challenge for each other and allowed them to learn something new whether it was about each other or the world around them. Maura wasn't her dream girl or even a girl that she had pictured herself ever dating—she was even better and now that Maura was _her _girl, Jane couldn't imagine life without her.

Three years had passed since they became a couple and, in that three years, Jane had earned her Associate's degree and Maura had completed her first three years as an undergraduate. Jane and Maura were only twenty-one-years-old, but they felt as if they were already mature enough to take the next step in their relationship: they were going to move in together. They would be living in a house with four other people and their bedroom was the size of a closet, but although it might have been small it was _theirs_ and that space would soon be filled with their belongings and, most importantly, their bed. As much as they wanted their own place, their bedroom would have to suffice until Jane was finished with the police academy.

Jane was due to start at the academy in less than a month and she knew the academy was going to be one of the most intense and rigorous experiences of her young life, so she decided to take her girlfriend on one final outing before their lives revolved around Jane being in the academy and Maura studying for the MCAT in addition to her upper-division classes. To celebrate the new milestone they were approaching, Jane had planned an idyllic weekend for the two of them. She saved up portions of her paychecks to book a cabin in a secluded location for the purposes of strengthening their bond as a couple and (hopefully) taking their relationship to a new level. Same-sex marriage wasn't legal, but that didn't lessen the desire Jane had to see an engagement ring on Maura's finger.

The ring Jane had picked out wasn't flashy and the diamond was far from impressive, but as a twenty-one-year-old with two low-paying part-time jobs and upcoming rent and utility bills to worry about, it was all she could afford. She knew Maura wouldn't care about the size of the diamond, but Jane was going to make sure to tell her she would get her a better ring once she was more financially stable.

As she was parked outside of Maura's dorm, she took the ring out of the glove compartment and examined it for what must have been the hundredth time. "You're nothing special," she told the ring. "But Maura is. She'll make you look beautiful."

Jane placed the ring in the box and quickly tossed it back in the glove compartment. She wasn't going to propose until they arrived at the cabin, but her nerves were already getting the best of her so she stepped out of the car and decided to head upstairs to help Maura with her bags. Jane had brought a backpack and an overnight bag, but she had a feeling her girlfriend had brought at least three or four suitcases that were filled to their capacity.

_You're going to be okay, Jane_, she thought as she opened the double doors. _This is Maura you're proposing to. She loves you just as much as you love her._

When she was greeted with a kiss from her loving girlfriend, Jane knew she was ready. They had an entire weekend of lovemaking ahead of them and, before it was over, she was hoping Maura would become her future wife.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for the fic love. This chapter is twice as long as the previous one, but I just can't help myself when it comes to horror. **

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They had been on the road for slightly over two hours when the gas gauge showed they were almost on empty. They had contemplated filling up the tank in Boston or even in the suburbs, but they were both too distracted by each other to care. Jane and Maura had gone on road trips together in the past, but it was always with friends. This was the first time they had taken a trip just the two of them and they wanted to take advantage of every moment left until they had to return home and worry about what the rest of their lives had in store for them. For the first and final time in their lives, Jane and Maura were going to forget about the future and just enjoy being young.

Another ten minutes had passed before Maura spotted a sign that said there was a gas station ahead. She had expected the type of gas stations she was familiar with in Boston, so she was surprised to see a run-down station with two pumps that looked as if they had been there since the 1950s. There was a pair of guys about their age standing outside, watching their every move as they pulled up to one of the pumps. There were no uniforms or nametags on their shirts, so Maura wasn't sure if they worked there or if they were just loitering. Regardless, they gave her an uneasy feeling that she couldn't quite shake even when Jane squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring look.

Maura leaned in to give her a kiss, but Jane quickly pulled away. "Not here," she said.

"Why?" Maura asked.

"We're not in Boston anymore," Jane pointed out, but Maura was still confused. "You know I'd never reject you, but people might not be as accepting here and I don't want to put us in any danger."

Maura winked at her. "My perfect girlfriend."

"Your perfect girlfriend wants a soda," Jane quipped.

"Water," Maura argued.

"Beer."

"Wine," Maura insisted.

"Babe, look where we are," Jane said sarcastically. "I'm sure they have the finest selection."

With Jane's words about people being more conservative still running through her head, Maura buttoned up the oversized plaid shirt she had taken from Jane over a year ago. With nothing but a form-fitting tank top underneath that shirt, Maura didn't want to risk being judged by whomever might be inside the store nor did she want to hear any catcalls from the guys standing outside. Jane had offered to let her stay in the car, but Maura insisted on doing her fair share. She'd buy the refreshments while Jane stayed and filled up the tank.

Maura didn't want to stop at that particular gas station, but with no other gas station around, they didn't have a choice. Instead, she stepped out of the car and braved herself for what might be ahead of her. She may have been wearing an oversized shirt, but her short skirt and heels managed to attract attention from the two guys standing outside. They whistled at her and made lewd comments until Jane walked over to them and told one to fill up the tank.

"I'll fill up your tank," one of them said to Jane. As literal as Maura would interpret things, even _she _noticed the innuendo.

"There's one for each of us," the other pointed out. "When Joseph comes back, he and I can share blondie over there. She looks like she could handle it."

Maura was repulsed by their behavior, but the more she listened to them the more she realized they were all talk. Jane's presence put their masculinity in question and their talk was a way of knocking her down a level, but nothing they said ignited even the smallest bit of fear within Jane.

"Just fill up the tank," Jane groaned. When they realized she wasn't affected by what they were saying, the guys stopped and did as they were instructed.

Although she was relieved, Maura rolled her eyes and walked inside the store. She had expected to see another teenage boy, but she was surprised to find an elderly woman working behind the counter. The woman smiled at her and Maura was comforted by the warmth and sincerity in her smile. She saw a grandmotherly figure in this woman, which made her wonder how such a sweet woman could work with such Neanderthal young men.

Maura took a few bottles of water and a bottle of cheap wine over to the counter and prepared for the inevitable. She took her driver's license out before the woman asked for it in hopes of proving that she was a responsible young adult unlike the young adults she was probably used to dealing with.

"You're far from home, sweetheart," the woman said as she scanned Maura's driver's license to make sure she was twenty-one. "Your boyfriend taking you to a cabin?"

Maura was taken aback by the question. She wanted to say that her girlfriend was taking her to a cabin, but she remembered Jane's warning about people most likely being conservative. "I don't have a boyfriend," Maura said matter-of-factly.

"A beautiful girl like you doesn't have a boyfriend?" she asked. "I don't believe it."

Maura quickly glanced at Jane leaning against the car, casually talking to the two gas station attendants. The hem of her t-shirt touched just above her navel and Maura could see a hint of her abs. She knew she would be seeing so much more of her body later that night, but just tiny glimpses were enough to arouse Maura. With a girlfriend like Jane, Maura had no desire for any man or even another woman, but there was no revealing such information to the elderly woman she was talking to. "It's the truth," Maura said nonchalantly.

After the lady finished ringing her up, Maura handed her a twenty dollar bill and waited for her change. "Have a safe trip, sweetheart," the lady told her when the transaction was over. "Stay out of trouble."

Her last statement made Maura smile. "Thank you and I will," Maura responded.

"You were both dicks to us," Maura heard her girlfriend say to the guys now that Jane and the two of them were having a friendly conversation near the car.

"Hey, man, we have to be," one of the guys responded.

"Maur, I want you to meet Jeff and Brian," Jane said. "Guys, this is Maura."

"Sorry about what I said earlier," Brian told Maura. "We cool?"

"Yes," Maura said although she wasn't sure what was happening.

"That's our grandma inside the store," Jeff informed them. "She and our grandpa have owned this place for about fifty years now and we kinda just chill out here and keep an eye on her. We always keep our guard up regardless of who we see. That's why we were saying what we were saying earlier. We'd never hurt women but we hate when city girls come over here and start acting like snobs to our grandma."

"Jane and I aren't snobs," Maura reassured them.

Brian grabbed a nearby crowbar and handed it to Jane. Both girls looked at him in disbelief and his gesture made them feel uneasy again. "Take it," he insisted.

"Why?" Jane asked, although she was already tightly gripping the crowbar.

"Do you have a gun?" Brian asked.

"No," Jane responded.

"A knife?" Jeff asked.

"No."

"Then take this," Jeff urged them. "I'd give you something better but we don't have any weapons on us."

"What the hell's going on?" Jane asked.

"Two girls alone in the woods," Jeff pointed out. "You never know what can happen."

"We'll take our chances," Jane scoffed. She was about to hand Jeff the crowbar, but Maura intercepted it.

"We'll take the crowbar," Maura insisted. Once the crowbar was in her hands, she held onto it for dear life.

Brian fidgeted with his cap. "Look, we usually don't give a damn, but you two seem cool and blondie—"

"Maura," Jane corrected him.

"Maura," Brian said. "Maura, blondie, whatever. Either way, she reminds me of my girlfriend and I wouldn't want her out there alone."

"She's not alone," Jane said angrily.

"There's no guy with you so you two are basically alone," Brian pointed out.

"Really?" Jane asked sarcastically. "I can take care of my girl."

It was a slip-up—Maura knew it was when Jane silently chastised herself for what she had said.

"Your girl?" Jeff asked.

"Yes, my girl," Jane admitted. Now that their secret was out in the open, there was no turning back.

"Hey, whatever," Brian said although he was trying his hardest not to laugh. "We've seen some stuff around here lately, so watch out."

"What have you seen?" Maura asked.

"It's going to get dark," Jane pointed out. "We should leave now."

Maura was reluctant to get inside the car, but she knew Jane was right about it getting dark soon and they wanted to be settled in by nightfall.

"We warned you," Brian called out to them, but Jane had already pulled out of the gas station.

"I can't believe you took that thing," Jane scoffed.

"Jane, I'm afraid," Maura admitted. "I want to go home."

Maura was taken aback when Jane quickly pulled over. "Babe, look at me," Jane insisted. "You have no reason to be afraid. Teenagers and people our age make up stories. We do the same thing in Boston. Remember that time Frankie and I made Tommy think his room was haunted? He slept on the couch for a week. This is just like that. There's nothing better for those guys to do at that gas station so they mess around with people who stop by. When we first got there, they were making lewd comments and then they switched to warning us about being alone? C'mon, babe."

"Jane—"

"How long have we been together?" Jane asked to illustrate her point.

"Almost three years," Maura responded.

"Almost three years," Jane repeated. "And in that time have I ever put you in any danger or let anything happen to you?"

Maura shook her head. "No, you haven't."

"Then why would I start now?" Jane asked. "I'd do anything to protect you, Maura."

"Fine," Maura sighed, although she still hadn't been reassured. "Jane?"

"Yeah?"

Maura looked into Jane's eyes and never before had she seen such a look of love and sincerity. She was Jane's girl and Jane would never put her in harm's way. "I love you, Jane. I love you so much and I'm going to trust you."

"I love you, too," Jane told her. "And we're going to be okay. We're going to be better than okay. We're going to be alone in a cabin with no interruptions and you'll be wearing nothing but the lingerie you brought in your suitcase."

"You peeked?" Maura gasped.

Jane leaned in and pressed her lips to Maura's in hopes that it would make her girlfriend forgive her for having peeked into her suitcase. "Why do you think I'm in such a hurry to get you to the cabin?"

Maura was grateful for the levity her girlfriend brought to the situation, but regardless of what Jane had told her she still had an uneasy feeling that she just couldn't get through to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Before checking into their cabin, Jane and Maura had to stop at a nearby office the size of a shed to pick up their key and receive any necessary instructions from the owner. The owner/operator was far from personable and Jane and Maura were grateful they only had to interact with him for a short while. The instructions were few and Jane was glad because if she were to forget anything, she wouldn't want to have to contact him. Checkout was Sunday at noon and he would have to do a walk-through with them before they left. If there were any signs of vandalism or additional guests, they'd be charged. The owner/operator had requested Jane pay by check, but she insisted on cash. Her checks had the Rizzoli family's address printed on them and this wasn't the type of person she wanted to give her address to.

"I need to make a copy of your driver's license before I give you the key," he insisted.

"I'd rather you not," Jane told him. "I'm paying you in cash, we're doing a walk through before we check out, so there's no need for you to have my picture and address on file."

"Young lady, you need to watch your tone," he said angrily. When he pounded his fist on the desk, Maura took a step back, but Jane remained firmly in place.

"I didn't have a tone," Jane pointed out. "I'm speaking to you like an adult and, as an adult, I know if I'm paying with cash you don't need my information on file."

He tossed the key to Jane, who reached out and caught it with one hand. Without another word exchanged between the two of them, Jane and Maura left the office and made the short drive to their cabin.

The cabin wasn't what Jane had expected, but after the long drive and their encounters with people at the gas station and the office, she was grateful for the opportunity to finally relax. She had imagined the cabin would be bigger and less dilapidated, but with the price she paid for it, she realized she shouldn't have expected so much.

The inside of the cabin was surprisingly clean and after Jane tested the sinks and the shower to make sure there was _clean_, running water she was finally put at ease. Jane wasn't against roughing it, but she wanted to make sure Maura had all the amenities she needed. It was the weekend she was going to propose to her and Jane didn't want Maura's memory of the proposal to be tainted by something like dirty water coming out of the faucet.

With just twenty-four hours left until she was going to propose to Maura, Jane started to plan exactly how she was going to pop the question to her. Should she propose to her as they took a relaxing bath together? Should it be when they made love to each other or as they sat by the lake? The possibilities were endless and even a bit overwhelming for Jane, so she decided to take her mind off of everything by holding Maura on the couch.

"I'm glad you convinced me to stay," Maura admitted to Jane after several minutes of holding each other in complete silence.

"I want you to feel safe with me," Jane responded. "I would never let anyone hurt you. I'd give my own life if it meant keeping you safe."

"You _are_ my life," Maura told her. "I couldn't go on without you."

"I guess that means I have to live forever," Jane added.

"Why am I with you?" Maura asked jokingly.

"Because I'm good in bed," Jane boasted. "You've said it on numerous occasions."

Maura straddled Jane's waist so that she could be face-to-face with her. "That's one of the reasons. I have a surprise for you. Go to the bedroom and wait for me."

"I have one for you," Jane smirked. "Come to the bedroom when you're ready for me."

Jane knew Maura wanted her as much as she wanted Maura, so she had an idea what Maura's surprise for her was going to be. As Maura was changing into her lingerie, Jane was changing into something entirely different. In her suitcase was a strap-on she had purchased just a few days ago. Jane had never imagined herself wearing one, but it was one of Maura's fantasies and that weekend Jane was set on giving Maura everything she had ever wanted.

When the straps were securely fastened, Jane couldn't resist looking at herself in the full-length mirror. There was an artificial phallus-shaped object attached to her, an erect one at that, but Jane didn't feel as embarrassed about it as she thought she would or even embarrassed at all.

Over the past year, Jane had begun working out in preparation for the academy and her body had gone from being skin and bones to having definition and muscle tone. Her abs had taken shape and so had her arms. All throughout her adolescent years, Jane had been referred to as gangly, but she was now told she had a chiseled physique. Maura loved her body regardless, but it always boosted Jane's ego when her newly-strengthened body enabled her to dominate Maura in the bedroom just as Maura had always wanted.

When Maura entered the room, the sight before her was Jane casually lying on the bed, her left ankle crossed over her right. Maura nearly dropped the wine glasses when she noticed what Jane was wearing. Without another word, she sauntered over there when Jane motioned for Maura to join her.

"I thought you didn't want to wear one," Maura pointed out.

"This weekend is about you," Jane reminded her.

"It's about us," Maura insisted.

"You look beautiful in this," Jane said as she touched the silky fabric on Maura's negligee. "Keep it on. I like the way this feels against my body."

"Your _naked _body," Maura said before grabbing one of the wine glasses. She took a sip and then looked at Jane.

"What are you planning?" Jane asked. Instead of answering, Maura slowly poured the remaining contents of her wine glass onto Jane's bare chest. Jane watched as Maura licked every last drop of wine that had trailed from her breasts down to her abs. The combination of the wine and Maura's tongue made Jane start to tingle. She wondered what had come over Maura. Maura had always been a sexual person, but this was the first time she had ever been so adventurous with Jane. With one hand on Jane's thigh and the other on her abdomen, Maura winked at Jane. "Maur?"

While keeping eye contact with Jane, Maura licked the toy from the base to the tip before taking it all in her mouth and letting it pop out. Maura pressed down on the base of the toy so it'd rub against Jane as she continued to wrap her mouth around it. Maura's actions may have given Jane _some _stimulation, but her arousal was more a result of the sight of Maura's head bobbing up and down and taking in the entire length. The phallus-shaped object wasn't an extension of Jane's body, but she knew she wouldn't have lasted long if it were.

When Maura moved back up the bed, Jane held her firmly in place, her hands gripping Maura's wrists against the pillows. "I'm ready for you," Maura commanded.

"You're ready when I say you're ready," Jane retorted. It wasn't like them to be so forceful with each other. Their lovemaking was usually gentle and filled with loving kisses and embraces, but Jane could sense that Maura wanted the opposite right now.

All Jane had to do was look to know that Maura was open and ready for her. She kneeled in front of Maura and gently inserted the tip—and only the tip—inside of her to gauge Maura's reaction. Just as she expected, her girlfriend winced.

"If it hurts too much, tell me and I'll stop," Jane said although she was well-aware that she was breaking with the forceful person she was pretending to be earlier.

"It's the first time I've had anything larger than the width of two fingers inserted in me," Maura reminded her. "It's going to hurt me until my vagina is able to accommodate it."

"Still," Jane paused. "Tell me."

"It'll hurt less if we hold each other," Maura informed her. Jane knew it wouldn't hurt any less, but it was Maura's way of saying that she wanted to feel Jane's body against her and she wanted Jane to kiss her for reassurance.

As they were kissing, Jane slowly inserted half of the length inside Maura. She wanted to pull out when Maura winced, but Maura insisted that she was just getting used to the length and the thickness and the feeling of having something stretch her. "It's pleasurable now that I'm getting used to it."

"Do you want me to go deeper?" Jane asked.

"As deep as you can," Maura insisted.

Jane and Maura had worked into a perfect rhythm, stopping only to kiss each other. The feeling of the silk against her skin and the sound of Maura moaning into her ear was becoming too much for Jane. Underneath the strap-on, she was swollen and aching for release. She gently pulled out of Maura and hurried to remove the harness from her body.

"What are you doing?" Maura asked.

Jane quickly re-positioned herself in between Maura's legs. "I need to feel you. You're so wet."

"So are you," Maura whispered into her ear. "I like the strap-on, but I'd much rather feel my woman." When Jane's body suddenly tensed, Maura became worried. "Jane?"

"Babe, I need you to remain calm. Don't be afraid."

"Why?" Maura asked. "Jane, what's happening?"

"Don't move your head," Jane insisted. "Just look out the corner of your eye. Do you see a red light?"

"Yes," Maura said worriedly.

With the lights on in the bedroom and the fact that they were so preoccupied with what they were doing to each other, Jane and Maura hadn't paid attention to the pea-sized red light coming from inside the ventilation grate.

"There's a camera in here," Jane whispered to her. She held on to Maura in hopes that holding Maura would keep both of them calm.

"Someone has been recording us making love to each other?" Maura asked.

"I know who it is," Jane told her. "I knew there was something about him the moment I set foot in that office. That bastard is recording us. I want you to stay right here. I'm going to go outside and check the perimeter. Keep the door locked and don't open it for anyone other than me."

"But Jane—"

"Listen to me, babe," Jane said after giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'm going to check outside to make sure our car is okay and then we're going to go home to Boston and have someone from the Boston PD contact the Sheriff's station over here. I'm not going to let him get away with recording my girl."

"For a moment, I was afraid you were going to murder him," Maura told her. In other circumstances, she would have been joking, but at that moment, Maura honestly was afraid that she would.

"We're not making any stops," Jane said as she put on a pair of jeans and a-shirt. "I just want to get you out of here."

Jane grabbed the crowbar from the living room, grateful that Maura had accepted it from the guys at the gas station.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is going to be a little (or extremely) on the violent side. The story is rated M for sex and graphic violence, but I promise you there will be no graphic sexual violence. I can't stress enough how much I'm against rape scenes.**

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With her hands gripped tightly around the crowbar, Jane slowly stepped down from the porch and on to ground below. When she hesitated to take a step further, she silently chastised herself for not being brave enough. With just a few short weeks before she was due to enter the academy, Jane had assumed she was ready for anything, but she hadn't expected to encounter a situation like this one on her vacation—or anytime before she officially had her badge. _You can do this, Jane. This is preparing you for the rest of your career, _she told herself in hopes that a mental pep talk would work, but when encouraging words to herself weren't enough, she thought of Maura, the woman she loved more than life, itself. If she were afraid, she could just imagine how Maura must be feeling. She thought of her quickly changing out of her lingerie and into the clothes she was wearing earlier. Once she was dressed, she'd be sitting on the bed, probably shaking and waiting for Jane to knock on the door and tell her that everything was going to be okay and that they'd soon be holding each other in Jane's room where it was safe. If she couldn't be brave for herself, she had to be brave for Maura.

As if she were crossing a busy street, Jane looked both ways before running from the edge of the porch to her car. Little inspection was needed for Jane to realize that her tires had been punctured. She would have accepted one flat tire as pure coincidence; they were in the woods and some of the roads she had driven on weren't exactly paved, but four flat tires couldn't be a coincidence. Someone had deliberately slashed her tires just as someone had put a camera in their room. "Fuck," she said as she angrily kicked one of the front tires. She hadn't wanted to be that loud, but her anger had gotten the best of her.

There was darkness all around Jane save for the lights coming from the bedroom, the living room, and the dimly lit porch. There were tall trees all around her, which served as the perfect hiding place for whoever might be after them. They were trapped. Even if they were to leave the cabin, they'd still be trapped. There was not a single cabin or sign of civilization closer than the gas station they had stopped at earlier, but that was still three miles away.

Jane wasn't about to expose Maura to the threat of being caught outside and she wasn't going to leave her alone for another second. There were two of them and only one of him. They were young, intelligent, and agile. The odds were in their favor, or so Jane tried to convince herself.

Jane knocked on the door for Maura to let her in. She called her name. She did everything short of breaking the door down, but there was still no response from Maura. Jane had been in the front the whole time and all of the windows were locked, so she knew nobody had entered the cabin while she was outside. If they had broken a window, she would have heard it. Jane contemplated using the crowbar to open the door, but she didn't want to risk causing any damage that might prevent them from being able to lockthe door.

As she had originally planned, Jane surveyed the perimeter. Everything was in tact until she approached the back of the cabin. There was a backdoor—one that Jane and Maura had failed to notice. It wasn't visible from the living room or the bedroom, which were the only two rooms Jane and Maura had spent time in.

Jane was hesitant to approach the door until she noticed it was slightly ajar. There was the possibility that it might have been ajar since before they had arrived, but that thought never crossed Jane's mind. _A slightly open door and an unresponsive Maura. _Those were the only two pieces of the puzzle that Jane needed for her adrenaline to go into overdrive. _I should have listened to her when she said she wanted to go home. _Jane quickly shook that thought from her mind. It was no longer the time for regrets. She quietly entered the cabin, ready to take down whoever might be in there with her girlfriend.

As Jane crept down the hall, she tried not to make any noise in what could possibly be a vain attempt at a sneak attack. She stood motionless next to the entryway, pausing for just a second before she took her first step into the room.

The sight that unfolded before her was her girlfriend unconscious with a masked man kneeling in between her legs. An empty condom wrapper was carelessly lying next to a rag, which Jane had assumed was soaked with whatever chemical he had used to drug Maura. The mask was crudely constructed, almost as if it had been sewn together using pieces of other Halloween masks. It was a horrific sight and Jane would be damned if that mask was the last thing Maura ever saw.

Had he begun to rape her and pulled out for some reason? Had he not started yet? All Jane knew was that this man was staring at Maura, not just staring but fixated on her, almost lovingly. Although she had been rendered unconscious, he had placed a pillow under her head to make sure she was comfortable. He had also positioned her similarly to the way she was positioned with Jane over an hour ago when Jane was about to enter her for the first time.

_He's re-enacting what we did, _Jane realized. _He hasn't been inside of her because I wasn't inside of her at that point_. It was a huge consolation and Jane was extremely grateful that the bastard hadn't violated her woman in that way. The following moments were all a blur to her. Had she been looking at him with Maura for a minute or had only a split-second passed since she had entered that room? The length of time seemed insignificant to her. What mattered most was protecting the woman she loved.

Jane rushed at him with every intention of knocking him out with a blow to the back of his head, but the moment she swung that crowbar with all of the strength she had gathered was the moment he turned around. The sharp edge of the crow bar was mere centimeters from his eye and Jane considered it a missed shot although she had knocked him down. She looked at her unconscious girlfriend and then at her attacker writhing in pain. She wasn't sure exactly what he had done to her, but he was going to suffer, regardless. Jane's second swing rendered him unconscious, but it was the third swing that brought on his demise. The sound of his skull cracking still didn't bring enough satisfaction for Jane. She felt like a child, taking pleasure in every swing as if she were hitting a piñata. She'd glance at Maura's body and the sight of her girlfriend lying on the ground with her legs spread enraged her. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but Jane Rizzoli had broken from reality. As she continued to beat him to a pulp, she imagined Maura fully conscious and the milestones they had left in their relationship. She had yet to propose to her, but how was she going to do it and when?

She knew it wasn't an ideal proposal, but Jane grabbed the ring from her bag and slipped it on Maura's finger. Their tormentor was gone and it was now time to revive Maura. His face may have been the last thing she saw before she passed out, but she wanted the ring to be her very first sight once she woke up. Jane had kept her promise and Maura was safe.

…or so she had thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Maura was surprised to wake up carefully placed on the bed. She was groggy and a bit lightheaded, but she could still recollect everything that had happened to her until she had been drugged. She remembered seeing a man in dark clothing enter the room while Jane was out and trying to scream as he pinned her to the ground. Although he was wearing a crudely constructed mask, she could still see his eyes looking down at her. He was giving her an adoring, almost loving look, which took Maura by surprise. Maura wondered if he'd spare her life if she was willing to give in to whatever he demanded, but the thought of anyone other than Jane touching her was almost too much for Maura to bear. The sound of his zipper was the last sound she heard before she passed out and, when she regained consciousness, she was left to wonder what had happened and how much time had passed.

Maura felt soreness in between her legs that turned into a stinging sensation when she moved. There were a few drops of blood on the sheets and even a bit on her inner thighs. Her immediate concern was rape. The thought of him being inside of her and tearing her in the process made Maura start to cry. In all of her twenty-one years, the only person who she had ever been intimate with was Jane—Jane, her girlfriend, her love. What she had experienced—or might have experienced—with him was violent and brutal and, although it was just a small consolation, Maura was still grateful that he had knocked her out before any penetration occurred. But then she remembered her final moments with Jane and what they had experienced together for the first time. Maura was in pain when Jane entered her with the strap-on and she remembered how concerned Jane had been as she was adjusting to something of that size being inside of her. Was the bleeding and the soreness because of what she had experienced with Jane? Although she hoped it was, Maura knew there was no way of finding out what had happened.

The cabin was silent and Maura's mind immediately drifted to the whereabouts of her girlfriend. Should she call out for her? Had he taken her? The thought of him hurting Jane terrified Maura and the thought of him violating her was even worse. Her girlfriend was strong and she tried to remind herself that, but all Maura could focus on was the possibility of him doing something to strip her of her dignity and reducing her to nothing but a screaming, sobbing mess.

After minutes of careful deliberation, Maura attempted to get up, but the soreness between her legs was too severe. She looked at the ring on her finger, the simple solitaire diamond. It was at that moment Maura realized why Jane had brought her to the cabin.

"She was going to propose," Maura said softly as she gently traced the gold band with her fingertip.

When Maura wiped her tears, she noticed drops of blood that had splattered on her face. She felt no open wounds nor did she feel pain besides the pain in between her legs. Maura rarely jumped to conclusions but this was a moment unlike any Maura had ever experienced. She immediately concluded the blood wasn't hers, but if it wasn't hers, whose was it?

"Jane!" She frantically called out. When there was no answer, Maura yelled even louder. "Jane! Where are you?"

A minute had passed and there was neither an answer nor the faintest noise from anywhere inside the cabin. The pain between her legs worsened as she got up, but Maura chose to ignore it. She had to find Jane regardless of how much pain she was in or how much anxiety she was feeling over what may or may not have happened.

Without looking at her surroundings, Maura stepped off the bed. With her eyes fixated on the blood spatters on the wall, she failed to notice the puddle of blood near her. When the tips of her toes touched the warm blood, Maura's frantic movements caused her to slip. Unable to break her fall, Maura landed in the puddle, the blood now drenching her negligee and smeared across her arms and legs.

"Jane!" she managed to yell out through her sobbing. "Jane!"

When Maura tried to maneuver herself, she slipped yet again, this time slamming her elbow against the hardwood floor. Maura rubbed her elbow as she waited for the pain to subside. She knew she'd be able to get up if she focused, but her frustration was getting the best of her. She angrily slammed her hand against the floor. "Jane! Jane! I need you! Why aren't you protecting me? You promised you'd protect me. Why did you leave me here?"

Maura was looking directly at the puddle of blood as she spoke, still uncertain if it belonged to Jane. Her fear was clouding her judgment and she suddenly became angry with Jane for leaving her there regardless of what had happened to her.

"Jane wouldn't do this to me," Maura whispered. "There's a pool of blood and no body. He wouldn't have left me here and taken her. This blood isn't Jane's. Jane caught him attacking me and she killed him. Jane is okay. Jane is okay. Jane is okay. Jane is—"

Maura stopped whispering when she saw the bloodstained crow bar carelessly lying near the closet. _She wouldn't have left the crow bar. _When Maura regained her strength, she grabbed the crow bar and slowly followed a trail of blood down the hall. Everywhere she looked there was signs of a struggle. A lamp had shattered and their belongings were strewn across the living room as if he had been looking for something.

The trail abruptly stopped at the front door, leaving Maura even more uncertain than she already was. Not wanting to open the door, Maura carefully peaked out the window and noticed the car was still there. The moment she saw the car, Maura felt a rush of adrenaline. Jane hadn't left her, but if she hadn't left then where was she?

Maura flung the door open and ran outside. Her bare feet hurt when she stepped on the twigs that littered the area just outside their cabin, but the pain no longer phased Maura. Her girlfriend—no, her fiancee—needed her and she was willing to do anything she could to make sure she was okay.


	6. Chapter 6

Maura ran a few yards from the cabin before she stopped to assess her surroundings. The tall trees blocked her view of the road, but Maura was able to see a light in the distance. _The office_!

Maura was uncertain what she would find in the office and she was armed with nothing more than a crowbar, but she continued to make her way toward the light. She slowed her pace the closer she got for fear of someone hearing her. Maura had expected to see a somewhat well-lit area similar to the their cabin, but she noticed no porch light and no lights whatsoever save for the lamp near the front window. The silence surrounding her gave Maura an uneasy feeling. There were no cars on the road and Maura couldn't detect the slightest bit of movement within the office.

Her last memory of Jane was her saying that their most intimate moments had been recorded, but by whom? Jane had assumed it was the owner, but was it? Had Jane gone after him? Had he taken Jane? _No_, Maura shook her head. _That puddle of blood couldn't have been hers and he didn't take her. Nobody took Jane. Jane went after him. Jane went after him and she was going to come back for me. I should go back and—she wouldn't have left the crowbar. Jane would never have gone unarmed. _It was a realization that hit Maura too hard. Jane wouldn't have left the crowbar and, most importantly, Jane wouldn't have left her.

Without a second thought, Maura approached the office. The door was slightly ajar and she clutched the crowbar even tighter for her security. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, but the pain was nothing in comparison to the stinging sensation between her legs. _It's because of Jane_, she tried to remind herself. _Jane and I had a beautiful moment together before this happened. _The pain was making Maura wince, but all she could do was stand outside the office door while she worked up the nerve to walk inside.

The front office looked untouched, but Maura feared to venture further down the hall. _Jane wouldn't be afraid_, she thought in hopes that her fiancée's bravery would inspire her. With thoughts of Jane flooding her mind, Maura slowly walked down the hall. There was no rustling or sounds of footsteps other than her own, but Maura could have sworn she detected the sound of something dripping in the distance. When she approached the source of the noise, Maura flipped the light switch without any hesitation.

"Mr. Miller," she called out after remembering his name from the document Jane had signed. "Mr. Miller?" When she heard no response, Maura made her way toward the desk and prepared to tap him on the shoulder.

Before Maura could make contact with him, she discovered the source of the noise. Mr. Miller's blood was dripping from his body and had created a pool of blood on the floor. Maura feared to see his body, but her curiosity got the best of her. She spun his chair around and let out a blood-curdling scream when she saw him. For fear of whoever did this to Mr. Miller still being nearby, Maura tightly cupped her hands over her mouth, but it was too late. If anyone were around, they surely would have heard her. As an undergraduate, Maura had no formal training nor did she have any exposure to the deceased. Mr. Miller was the first homicide victim she had ever seen and she was torn between her own curiosity and her need to find Jane. She continued to look at his lifeless body, the blood still dripping from the deep gashes on his neck.

"You asshole," Maura sobbed when she saw the screens Mr. Miller had been looking at during his final moments on this earth. "You were watching us." Playing on a continuous loop on one of the screens was Jane making love to her, the final intimate moment that they had shared as girlfriend and girlfriend. Maura knew Jane was delicate with her, but as she watched Jane make love to her on screen, she realized just how loving all of Jane's actions were. On the neighboring screen was Jane looking at herself in the mirror while wearing the strap-on she had purchased. Maura smiled for the first time since this ordeal began when she saw Jane check out her body in the mirror and playfully flex her muscles. Maura's smile continued to widen when she saw the silly faces Jane made in the mirror followed by Jane trying to get a few stubborn strands of hair out of her face. _So this is my girl when she thinks nobody is looking. _Maura lovingly caressed the screen with her fingertips, wishing she could somehow pull Jane out of there and hold her close, but Maura was brought back to reality when she took another look at Mr. Miller's lifeless body.

The more she thought about the brutality of his murder, the more she feared for Jane. All throughout their relationship, Jane had been her protector, but now it was up to Maura. Whoever did this to Mr. Miller still had Jane and Maura knew time was of the essence.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you so much for your comments on the last chapter and I'm really sorry about the delay. :)**

* * *

_They had only been dating six months before Maura knew Jane was the one. It was a sudden realization for her that came about one spring afternoon when Jane surprised her with a visit. She saw Jane fairly often, but with Maura's hectic class schedule and midterms approaching, Jane insisted on keeping her distance for a week so her girlfriend could study. As a freshman, Maura was still taking her general education classes and getting used to the different writing styles expected by the life sciences department and the humanities department. After class, she had every intention of researching the varying styles of academic writing, but there was Jane standing outside her building with a care package in hand._

"_To make studying and writing easier for you," Jane said as she handed her the care package. "There's pens and highlighters and a writing reference guide. It's different from the ones you have. The guy at the bookstore said this is the best one for quick references and I wrote you some notes."_

"_What kind of notes?" Maura asked._

_Jane leaned in and kissed her lips. "The kind of notes that you should read when you're not in my presence."_

_Without any further explanation, Maura knew exactly the kind of notes Jane was referring to. They never contained any sexual innuendo, so the reason Jane didn't want her to read them in her presence was because there was something emotional written in the notes that Jane was unable to express to her in person. _

_That afternoon, while making love to each other, Jane looked into Maura's eyes and whispered the words Maura had been longing for her to say, "I love you."_

"_I love you, too," Maura responded without hesitation._

"_You do?" _

"_I do," Maura reassured her. "I love you so much, Jane."_

_When Jane smiled wide enough for her dimples to show, Maura could never resist her. She kissed each dimple, which made Jane smile even more. Jane was rarely that playful, but when she was Maura liked to enjoy the moment for as long as she could._

_For the first time, Maura was on top and she reveled in the feeling of Jane's fingertips running up and down her back and the sight of Jane looking up at her with so much love in her eyes._

"_I should let you study," Jane said as she tucked a strand of hair behind Maura's ear._

"_I'm not finished with you," Maura insisted and, as much as Jane told her that she should study, Maura wasn't about to let her go._

_That afternoon was the first time Maura had ever worn Jane out and, as Jane held her afterward, Maura realized how much better and much more intimate sex could be now that they had admitted their feelings for each other._

"I love you, Jane. I love you," Maura whispered as she cried in the corner of Mr. Miller's office. She had become lost in her memories of Jane, but she was startled back to reality when she looked at Mr. Miller's lifeless body. If whoever this was could take down a grown man like Mr. Miller, what was he doing to Jane?

Moments from their relationship began to flood Maura's mind and she thought about the possibility of never kissing her again, but she stopped when it occurred to her that these thoughts were a way of already giving up on Jane.

As she tried to get up, she felt an intense stinging between her legs. Her negligee was stained with blood, as were her arms and legs from when she had fallen in the puddle in their room. _This isn't Jane's blood. Jane is strong and brave. No one could hurt her. She fought for me and now it's up to me to fight for her. _

…but how could Maura fight for her when she already felt so defeated?

She knew she had to find Jane and, although she only had two options, those two options were all it took to overwhelm her. She could either stay on the road or she could stay hidden in the woods, but neither option appealed to her. If she stayed in the woods, it would be easier for her to get lost and the terrain was rough. The area was littered with twigs and stray branches that would be difficult for her to see in the dark. If she stayed on the road, the walk would be easier on her bare feet and there was the possibility that she could be seen, but would the people who stopped after seeing her walk along the side of the road be the type of people who'd help her or harm her?

After careful deliberation, Maura decided it was best for her to walk alongside the road. Before leaving the office, she ran her fingers along the diamond ring Jane had placed on her finger. The ring was just as soaked with blood as her skin and clothing, but to Maura it looked as beautiful as it did the moment she first saw it.

Maura was in pain with each step that she took, but she tried to hold herself together as she walked along the road. Exactly where she was going, Maura hadn't the faintest idea. If someone had Jane, where would they have her? There were no houses nearby for her to search and, if there were, what would she do? She couldn't knock on the door and whoever had taken Jane certainly wasn't going to hand her over just because Maura had located the correct dwelling.

No more than five minutes had passed before Maura came upon a sign that said the gas station was three miles away. Three miles wasn't a long distance, but in her current condition, three miles seemed almost impossible for Maura. She was barefoot, in pain, and shivering from both cold and fear, but she had to keep going. Jane needed her and she wasn't going to let her down. If she couldn't find Jane herself, she'd enlist the help of the guys they met at the gas station and use their phone to call the police.

With that plan in mind, Maura quickened her pace. The road was dark and the surrounding areas were quiet, save for the occasional sound of wildlife in the nearby forest.

_Jane is going to be okay, _Maura kept saying until she saw a truck stopped just ahead of her.


End file.
